Opens its APIs to mixed reviews

Microsoft's announcement of its strategy to enhance interoperability and openness drew cheers from the software industry, but don't assume the software giant did it out of charity. "This move heads off the competition from open source and open standards," says Nick Selby, director of research operations for The 451 Group.

Microsoft will open connections to high-volume products such as Vista and Server 2008, enhance data portability, better support industry standards and strengthen communication with customers and the industry, including the open-source community. "This is the first recognition [by Microsoft] that an open approach makes business sense," says Selby. He thinks this "sea change" will have a major effect on the open standards and open-source movements.

Microsoft's move to open its APIs is good news for end users, IT and third-party vendors, agrees Matt Asay, VP of business development for Alfresco Software, an open-source alternative for enterprise content management. "This should mean more seamless interoperability with third-party software solutions," he says, including Alfresco's.

However, Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley remains skeptical. "Until Microsoft shows a real change in its behaviors around interoperability, I see pledges like these as little more than the same-old rhetoric," she says in her blog.

Asay disagrees. "It's possible Microsoft will drag its feet. But given the publicity, Microsoft has made it harder to hide behind failed promises. The devil is in the details, but I'm optimistic."

--Diann Daniel

Find your perfect match

Ever wanted a mentor but didn't know where to turn? Enter iMantri, a new social networking website designed to connect mentors with people who seek one.

iMantri provides what cofounder and CEO Satya Iluri calls competency-driven mentoring -- help in areas such as time management, communication, leadership or project management. It also offers goal-driven mentoring, so users who aspire to become CIO, for example, can find a mentor.

Users search profiles of individuals registered with the site to find a mentor, or they can use a proprietary matching engine. The engine hinges on a competency assessment and employs a user's Myers-Briggs personality type to identify an effective mentor. A user who doesn't know his Myers-Briggs personality type is directed to an online test administrator, or he can select the appropriate personality type. The engine also factors in use preferences, such as location. Users can set the frequency of mentor interactions and keep tabs on tasks their mentors assign them.

Not all mentoring on the site is free. Professional coaches who register with the site may charge a fee.

Iluri says the goal is to offer the platform, which is based on XML, Ajax, RPC, Flash and Flex technologies, to enterprises for internal mentoring use. iMantri can connect with other corporate applications, such as an intranet, through API-based Web services.

--Meridith Levinson